Museveni, Bobi to face off in Hoima by-election campaigns

The Hoima LC5 by-election campaigns have reached a climax, with the National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, and the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) party bigwigs gearing up for a showdown.  
The campaign period, which commenced on September 1, is now entering its final stretch as candidates make their last-ditch efforts to secure support of the 100,396 registered voters. The by-election scheduled for September 14.
The position fell vacant after the death of Kadiri Kirungi on March 17 in a road crash at Mataagi Village in Bukomero Town Council on the Kampala-Hoima Highway in Kiboga District.
As the campaign period comes to an end, both NUP and NRM camps have mobilised their respective party bigwigs to rally behind their candidates.
The NUP campaign is being led by Mr Moses Aguuda, the party’s candidate in the race. He confirmed that their camp would receive a boost from the NUP party leaders from headquarters starting today.
He said NUP president, Mr Kyagulanyi, is set to camp in Hoima District for two days, commencing today for campaigns.
Mr Aguuda expressed confidence in Kyagulanyi’s ability to sway voters, stating that “his words are convincing,” and they anticipate a surge in support for their candidate as a result of his visit.
“His visit will add a voice to what we have been telling voters and we are waiting to have many voters converted from our opponents’ camps,” he added. 
Unlike in some other districts where Mr Kyagulanyi had been involved in opening party offices, his presence in Hoima District is purely for campaign purposes because there are high stakes in this by-election,  according to Mr Aguuda. 
On the other hand, the NRM party has established a robust presence in Hoima District, with Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and other influential figures joining the campaign trail since Thursday last week.
Other NRM bigwigs include party National Vice Chairman Moses Kigongo,  NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja and Director for Mobilisation Rosemary Sseninde, among others.
The NRM’s Director for Communications and Public Relations, Mr Emmanuel Dombo, said they invited their national party chairman, President Museveni, to visit Hoima District tomorrow, which is the last day of the campaign, to drum up support for their candidate.
“We (NRM) wrote to our national chairman and booked him for Tuesday to be in Hoima, but I cannot confirm whether he will come or not. We gave him the programme and the campaigns have been good. But we have been with the prime minister and other party leaders,” he said.
Mr Dombo expressed hope that the Electoral Commission would avoid scheduling Mr Kyagulanyi’s visit on the same day as President Museveni’s, citing the need to prevent a recurrence of the violent incidents that transpired during the Arua City by-election in 2019.
But Mr Aguuda alleged that NRM bigwigs want the Electoral Commission to change the harmonised campaign programme such that Mr Kyagulanyi does not campaign in Hoima.
“We shall not accept any change in our campaign programme by the Electoral Commission because they intend to block my party president from campaigning for me. We drafted this campaign programme together with them and all candidates, why change now?” he wondered. 
However, the Hoima District Returning Officer, Ms Merab Kasande, clarified that she had not received any official communication as of Sunday morning regarding changes to the campaign programme.
The Hoima District Police Commander, Mr Jackson Bogere, emphasised that the security forces are prepared to provide security for all candidates, irrespective of their political affiliations. 
He added that each candidate needed to adhere to their respective campaign schedules.
“This election is not a do or die. We all know that President Museveni is the fountain of honour, who must be respected, but also NUP president has the right to campaign in Hoima if he wishes to do so,” Mr Bogere said. 
He further said the security arrangements for Mr Kyagulanyi in Hoima District would be in line with those provided in other regions, with the priority being to ensure that he carries out his campaign activities safely. 
The contenders
This by-election has attracted five nominated candidates, reflecting a diverse mix of political affiliations. Three of these candidates were nominated on party tickets: Mr Patrick Musinguzi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Mr Uthuman Mugisha Mubaraka of NRM, and Mr Moses Aguuda from NUP. 
Additionally,  the two Independent candidates are Mr Vincent Muhumuza and Mr Lenox Mugume.
As per the Electoral Commission’s harmonised campaign programme, NUP’s candidate will focus his campaign efforts today in the sub-counties of Kigorobya and Buseruka while tomorrow, he will conclude his campaign in the Kitoba Sub-county.
However, Mr Brian Aliguma, the NUP coordinator for Hoima District, refrained from disclosing specific venues where they will host their party president for security reasons. He assured the public that the campaign process has been smooth overall. The challenge, he noted, has been the limited time allocated for campaigns.
In the NRM camp, efforts have been concentrated on persuading other contenders in the race to step down in favour of their flag bearer, Mr Mugisha.
Prime Minister Nabbanja and Mr Kigongo recently attempted to convince Mr Vincent Muhumuza, an Independent candidate, who came second in the NRM primaries, to rally behind Mugisha in exchange for potential job opportunities in the government.
However, Mr Muhumuza declined the job offers, stood firm and chose to remain in the race.
“My decision to contest as an Independent signals to our party’s national chairman that there are issues within our party. We experienced numerous irregularities in our primaries, which compelled me to run as an Independent. I am not against the party, but I am against the poor methods of work,” he said. 
But Mr Dombo said in the few remaining days, they will still approach him to see if he can change his decision.
Ms Nabbanja, speaking at different rallies, has assured the people of Hoima that all their past problems will be solved, urging residents to vote for the NRM candidate. 
She reminded them that the government has built several infrastructure, including oil roads in Buliisa District and he is currently construction Kabalega International Airport in Hoima District.
Mr Muhumuza, a seasoned politician in the district, has faced two defeats before, having contested for the same seat in 2016 and 2021. His political resilience is evident, as he secured the second position in the NRM party primaries with 8,897 votes, while the winner, Mr Mugisha, garnered 11,318 votes.
Election data analysis
To understand the significance of the Hoima LC5 by-election, it is crucial to consider the performance of political parties in the 2021 general elections in the district.
The NRM emerged victorious in the presidential poll, with President Museveni securing 38,431 votes, while Mr Kyagulanyi of NUP garnered 10,973 votes.
Additionally, the NRM dominated lower political positions such as the district, sub-county and town councils.
In the parliamentary election, NUP fielded just two candidates. Mr Richard Agaba contested for Kigorobya County and secured 462 votes, while Mr David Karugaba of the NRM emerged victorious with 9,633 votes.
Another NUP candidate was Ms Mary Nyamuhaibona, who competed for the position of Woman Member of Parliament. She garnered 5,659 votes while the NRM candidate, Ms Harriet Businge, won with 28,426 votes.
Meanwhile, the candidate who represented FDC in the same seat, Ms Rehemah Nabiseere, secured 509 votes, underscoring the challenging political landscape for the Opposition parties in Hoima District.